Melbourne-based indie artist, Sunny Albeau's latest creation is 'Cocaine Jane', an electronic-flavoured, sultry funk-rock song bursting with stylish grooves.
Originally from Perth, music was never Sunny's first creative pursuit. While studying at film school when he was 20, Albeau suffered a brain injury that left him believing he was a Hammond organ player in a band. Able to play music he heard, Sunny self-taught himself to play instruments.Influences like The Triffids, David Bowie, and American hard bop, soul jazz Hammond player Jimmy Smith has seen Albeau's style evolve into an electrifying fusion of funky-blues, electro-pop, and disco-jazz.
With 'Cocaine Jane', Sunny has crafted a bouncy, trippy electro beat reminiscent of Regurgitator with a slice of Machine Gun Fellatio's quirky pop and the '70s synth stylings of Dire Straits – yet it's fused together with modern, vibrant electronic tones.
'Cocaine Jane' will also feature on Sunny's forthcoming album 'Random Axe Of Grindness – A Cure For Funked-Up Times' that's due for release in 2025. "Hooked on a dangerous love affair meant many long nights in the studio grooving to some seriously funked-up times," shares Sunny about the creative process behind 'Cocaine Jane'.
"As the track was written approximately ten years ago and the first iterations of the film clip started about eight years ago, the journey has been one about refinement as well as, let's face it, recovery."
Released at the end of last month, today scenestr is stoked to premiere the 'Cocaine Jane' music video. Enjoy.
"I collaborated with a good friend (our visual music-art name is Disco Balls Deep) on these early versions [of the music video] leading up to the final masterpiece, which I am so thrilled to be able to share," Sunny says.
"It feels like we were waiting for the right time to be able to meld vintage retro video feedback effects with a bit of AI magic to create the actual character I am singing about: Cocaine Jane.
"It was filmed and edited in such a way as to mimic the effects of being heavily under the influence as well as visually tell the story. It was shot at my home studio and even features a cameo from my pet eclectus parrot Cherry."
While one may take the upbeat groove to indicate this is a party track, Sunny does have a sobering message to share. "Although it's humorous and there are drug references (drug-taking sounds make up part of the rhythm track – no drugs/ humans were harmed during this process!) it's actually a warning: 'Stay away from dangerous and expensive love affairs.'
"I've learnt a lot about myself during this whole process from start to finish, and I'm happy to say that staying in alignment with the highest (let's say best) version of myself was the only way out of the mess of addiction."
With a diverse tapestry of influences, Sunny has forged a musical identity rooted in tradition, yet brimming with innovation. "On one hand, it feels like a compulsion I can't control and, on the other, it feels like it's my mission to take it as far as I can out of respect and gratitude for being given the gift of music through a near-death experience.
"That life-changing event helped me realise life is too short. I feel a certain responsibility towards all of the original music I have created as I honestly feel it has come through me, not from me."
